Campus Partners plans for 15th and High project Credit: Courtesy of Campus Partners
Ohio State’s 15th Avenue and High Street area could soon be known for much more than the entryway of its Greek row.
A new arts library, Department of Theatre relocation and expansion to the College of Music building are planned to be the focus — that is, if one is on-campus not looking at the 11-story hotel set to be built right across the street.
A request for a construction manager of risk — a firm to oversee proposal designs and provide input as to when construction should occur and the best practices to develop some of Ohio State’s most-used real estate — included details on the potential designs of pending arts projects.
The arts library will house collections of fine art, music, theater and dance, replacing the lower level of the Wexner Center for the Arts. A 23,000 square-foot addition to Stillman Hall, to Stillman Hall, the College of Social Work’s home, will be constructed to be part of the library, as well.
Students will no longer need to trek across campus to Drake Performance and Event Center for theatre and production classes. The Department of Theatre’s new location will be near 18th Avenue and College Road, just east of Arps Hall.
The department building will include 103,000 square feet devoted to the moving image production program, a 500-seat theater and 300-seat flexible theater, as well as classrooms, offices, rehearsal space and a lobby.
Weigel Hall will be extended and renovated, resulting in an additional 83,000 square feet available to be used for a 230-seat recital hall, classrooms, rehearsal space and music support areas.
The Arts District project also includes an extension to Annie and John Glenn Avenue from College Road to High Street.
While the construction and development of the area does not yet have an end date, design proposals are due Jan. 31, and a construction manager to provide advice on the project will be selected in February 2018. Campus Partners — Ohio State’s nonprofit group tasked with developing various building projects — estimates the 15th and High project to be complete in the 2020s.
Total costs for the Arts District project are still to be determined.
With the ball rolling on yet another construction project, Ohio State is now in the process of developing a medical tower, ambulatory facility, iOS laboratory, and Energy Partners research center — to name a few.
